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MACHINE FOR-SEWING 0N BUTTONS.Y v No. 465,334.y Patented Deo. 15, 1891.

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No. L15;334.' Patented Dec. 15., 1891.

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MAGHINEOR SEWING 0N BUTTONS.

Patented Deo. 15, 1891.

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W. E. BENNETT. MACHINE FOR SEWING 0N BUTTONS.

Patented Dec. 15, 1891.

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W. E. BENNETT.. MACHINE POR SEWING 0N BUTTONS.

Patented Dec. 15, 1891.

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MACHINE POR SEWING 0N BUTTONS.

Patented Deo. 15'-, 1891.

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Ne. 465,334. Patented Dee. 15, 1891.

W. E. BENNETT. n MACHINE POR SEWING 0N BUTTONS.

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Patented Deo. 1 5,y 1891.

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W. E. BENNETT. MACHINE POR SEWING 0N BUTTONS.

No. 465,334. 1%11161111111 Deo. 15, 1891.

chine of this class in respect to simplicity ofv UNrrEn STATES PATENT# Ormea..

lVALTER E. BENNETT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE MORLEY BUTTON SElVING MACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR SEWING ON BUTTONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 465,334, dated December 15, 1891.

I Application tiled January 28, 1891. Serial No. 379,398. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER E. BENNETT, a citizen of the United States, residing'at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Button-Sewing Machines, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to machines for sewing shank-buttons onto fabric, leather, duc., the object being to provide an improved maconstruction and eiiiciency of operation in manipulating the button and the thread in attaching the formerg-and the invention consists in certain improvements in details of mechanism for accomplishing said object, all as hereinafter fully described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 is a front end view, of a machine for sewing shank-buttons to fabric constructed according to my invention. Fig. 3 is Aa perspective -view of detail parts of the machine separated from the frame thereof; and Fig. 4; is a perspective View of portions of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3, all of which is fully described below. Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views of portions of the operative mechanism of the machine separate from the frame thereof and are below fully described. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the front end of the machine, showing the lower end of the button-trough, together with a portion of the mechanism for receiving and manipulating the button and forming the stitch. Fig. 8 is an end View of the button-holder, showing a button therein and a side elevation of the needle and of the thread-loop carried thereby, this figure and Fig. 7 showing the fabric in section. Fig. 9 is a similar View to Fig. 7, but showing the button-holder, the needle, and the thread-loop in different operative positions from those vthey occupy in therlast-named figure. Fig.

10 is a similar view to Fig. S, but showing the needle in a different position from that which it occupies, as shown in the last-named figure. Figs. 11, 13, and 15 are similar views to the aforesaid views, Figs. 7 and 9, but they severally illustrate different positions of the button, the needle, and the thread-loop in the operation of attaching the button to the fabric, all as hereinafter fully described. Figs. 12 and 14; illustrate the button-holder in end views, the needle in somewhat different positions, and different steps in the manipulation of the thread-loop and the loop-hookin relation to said loop, all as hereinafter described. Fig. 16 illustrates the loop-hook and a portion of its shaft, the end of the button-holder with aV button therein, and a button attached to the fabric, together with the end of the-needle.

Fig. 17 is a sectional View ou line c x, Fig. 11,

with button-trough removed. Fig. 18 is a plan View of detail p arts hereinafterv described. Fig 19 is a sectional view on line ocx am, Fig. 13. Fig. 2O is a plan View, with the buttontrough removed, of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 17.

I-Ieretofore it has been the practice,ligurima:-l

chines of this class to provide mechanismzfor holding the button so that its shank is held with one side against the material under or over the point of the needle, (sometimes also moving the button-shank under or over the needle-point,) and to operate the needle to cause it to first puncture said material either outside of or within the edge of said shank, and by wellknown sewing mechanism to cause the button to be fully attached to the material, while the button is held as described, bysewing a stitch or stitches over the part of the button-shank surrounding the eye thereof, and securing the last loop in any suitable way.

The improvements herein set forth provide means for manipulating the button and its attaching-loops in an essentially different manner from those above referred to by primarily holding the button considerably above the material away fromv the needle and with the fiat sides of its shank in vertical planes. The hlder containing the button then lnoves endwise in a plane with the material, carrying the button toward the needle, and passes its shank between the needle and a loop car- -ried thereby. The holder, then rocking, turns the button over to bring the sides of the shank to horizontal planes, and so holds the button momentarily and then moves back, letting the button escape therefrom. During said movements of the button-holder and but-- IOO ton a primary loop is, by the needle, engaged on the button-shank close to the button, and a secondary loop is carried through the button-eye and opened by a loop-hook, and the .button-head is made to pass through said of said loops as results in an exceedingly.

strong and firm fastening. The line of thread on the under side of the material between the stitches so formed is a single one.

in the drawings, A indicates the fram-e of the machine having a horizontal base, an 'uprigh-t part at oneend of the base, and an armlike formation extending from th-e top of said upright part over said base. The dri ving-shaf t H, havinga driving-pinion m fix-ed thereon, is hung to rotate in suitable bearings in said frame, and has a clutch-drivin g pulley ithereon of ordinary construction. A hand-wheel F is fixed to the rear extremity of the drivingshaft, by which it may be tu-rned by hand for certain adjustments of mechanism connected therewith. A cam-shaft J is hung in the machine to rotate at the side of said driving-shaft, and has fixed thereon a gear-wheel n, with which said pinion m engages, thereby giving shaft J the requisite rotary motion. The shaft J has fixed thereon a triple-grooved cam K and the cams 22 ands and o, these last three cams having cam-grooves in one side thereof for actuating parts below referredto, and a cam w for imparting a vibratory motion to lthe needle-bar.

The mechanism above referred to for manipulating the buttons, whereby they are brought successively to the button-holder, the button-holder having the functions heretofore described, 4and the mechanism for operating said button-holder and the loop-hook above referred to, are constr-ucted and arranged to operate as follows:

A button-hopper C is fixed at the end rof a button-trough B, and the latter is fixed in proper position on the upper part of the frame A, as shown in Fig. l, the lower end of said trough having acoverC thereon to properly retain the buttons in position in the trough, as shown in Fig. 7, while they descend one `after another to the lower end thereof,

Y' where they are delivered to the button-'holder said hopper C, which elevates the buttons,

but which is not shown in the drawings, is operated by a pawl 23, which is pivoted by one end on the extremity ot' the arm 24, the

latter being pivoted by one end'on' the frame A, (see Fig. 1,) and has a slot therein, as shown,

with "which a stud on a vertical lever 25 engages. The extreme upper end of this lastnamed lever is connected by a rod 26 with the lower end of a sliding button-turner 27, which lies on the upper side lof the buttontrough B and is given a reciprocating .motion thereon by the vibratory motion of said lever 25. The purpose of said slide 27 is to turn over any buttons which may be passing thereunder with their shanlrs uppermost and cause the latter to take a positioninthe shank-slot of the button-trough such as they should Voccupy when the buttons shall arrive at the delivery end of the button-trough, which position is one which permits them to 4be taken by 'or received into a button-socket in the end of lthe button-holder, as shown in Fig'l. The said lever 25 is pi voted near its lower end to the frame A, and has a stud thereon which engages with one of th-e grooves of said -cam K on the shaft J, whereby said lever is given said vibratory motion, and said motion causesthe arm 24 to have a vibra-torymotion vertically, thereby imparting the requisite reciprocatory motion to the pawl 23. Sai-d butv ton hopper, trough, a-nd devices ope-rating therewith to cause buttons to be delivered from the lower end of said trough are old and well known, and do not constitute the subject-matter of this application. The said 'button-holder consists of va shaft 3, having a head c3 thereon,which constitutes the holder proper, `of the form shown, which in cross-section is substantially that of a segment of a cylinder, the circumferential portion of which is adapted to have an oscillating move-ment under and close to the lower e-nd of the button-trough fro-m f the position shown in Fig. l0 to that shown in Fig. 12 andback again, alternately shutting the button-trough against button egress and presenting its button-socket to receive a button. Said head c3 has a button-socket in one side thereof, beneath its surface, to receive the head of one bu-tton only when the latter drops from the lower endof the buttontrough B, and hence when said button is received and the holder turns under the end of the trough it serves as a gate to arrest the movement of thecolumn of buttons above the lower one. (See Fig. 7.) The outer engl of 4the head c3 has applied thereto a plate 29,

which partly covers the said button-socket at the outer end of said head, in the edge of which plate is formed a notch or opening 28, in whi-ch the shank of the button lies, as shown in Figlb', when the button drops into said button-socket. The said button-holder is hung in4 bearings 2 2 on the extremity of the arm of the frame A in a position at right angles to the movement of the need-le of the machine, and has fixed thereon between s aid bearings a pinion 5. A geared segment 6 on the lower end of an arm 30 engages with said 30 with a rock-shaft 3l, and consequently said of the machine and has a stud thereon engag-i `tween said shaft andarm 34 is made, as illusbutton-holder has a rocking movement imparted to it. The said geared segment 6 is caused to have an engagement with the ends of said pinion 5 by means of the plates e on the opposite edges of said segment, to the end that said segment may befemployed for giving an endwise movement to the button-holder, as well as said rocking movement, and therefore said rock-shaft 31 has a slight reciprocating end Wise movement given to it by means of the lever 32, which is pivoted tothe frame ing one of the grooves of the cam K, the upper end of said leverbeingslotted, asshown, and engaging with a friction-block on a stud f, which is xed in said rock-shaft 3l. Theabove-described connection of thelever32 withthe shaft 3l serves toV impart the requisite endwise inotion thereto, throughwhich, by means of the segment 6, the button-holder is given, a like movement,but permittingsaidshaft 3l to have sufficient rocking motion, through which the said segment 6 is given its said vibratory motion, The rocking motion of shaft 31 is iinparted thereto by-means of the cam 22 on the shaft J, a connecting-rod 33 having a stud therein which engages with a slot in said cam and has its upper end connected to the extremity of an arm' 34, which is hung loosely on shaft 31,in order that said shaft may have its said endwise movement without interfering with the mechanism with which arm 34is connected, and to provide for this free endwise -movementl of shaft 3l. a connection betrated in Fig. 4. It is seen in this last-named gure that the arm 34 is made with two short' ribs o o thereon,between which the extremity of Va dog 35 enters, as shown, said dog, by'its hub and a set-screw passing therethrough, being rigidly iixed to the shaft 3l. seen that said shaft, by means of the lever 32, may have a slight endwise movement Within the hub of the arm 34, the extremity of said dog 35 sliding between the ribs o o during saidendwise movement, it being understood that the width of said ribs is such as to permit of the maximum endwise movement required of the 'shaft 3l without drawing the extremity of said dog from between said ribs o o. A loop-hook 36 is mounted on rock- .shaft 27 and is rocked by said shaft into proximity with the button-holder shaft 3, and

by means of othermechanism, below def `rack-bar 39 is given a horizontally-reciprocatend a stud, which engages with one of the ing movement by means of a lever 4l, which is pivoted to the frame A and has in its lower grooves of said earn K. The upper end'ef Hence it is lever 4l .is slotted and has an engagement with a friction-block on a stud t' inl said bar 39. The endwise movement of said loop-hook shaft 37, whereby said hook has a movement toward and from the side of said buttonholder, is effected-by means of a plate 42, fixed on the side of one of the bearings of said shaft 37, (see Figs. 5 and 6,) in which is a cam-slot y, and in said shaft 37 is fixed a stud @which engages with said cam-slot,and therefore when said shaft 37 rocks in one direction it is caused to move endwise and draw the'loop-hook from the side of said buttonholder, and when rocked in the opposite direction the loop-hook is moved toward saidholder. Said Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate in perspective views a supporting casting,which is rigidly securedto the extremity of the arm of the frame A, in which are provided the bearings and supports forthe aforesaid button-holder and loop-l hook shafts. Fig. 5 is a rear perspective view of said support and the parts attached thereto and of one end of said rack-bar and its rack 38; and Fig. 6 is a front'perspective View of the parts shown in Fig. 5, and in addition thereto of the rock-shaft 31, the geared segment 6, and the arm connecting the same with said rockshaft.

The usual cloth-plate of the machine 43 is rigidly secured by a pending arm, as shown in several'of the figures, to a downhanging part of the-arm of the machine, said clothplate being located, as usual, in suchy position as to provide for the passage of the .needle through a suitable perforation therein. Said cloth-plate is located directly over the presserfoot 44, and between the latter and the under side of the cloth-plate the material W is held, upon which the buttons are to be sewed, it being understood, of course, that the saidv opening, through which the needle passes in the cloth-plate, communicates with the usual slot in said plate, which permits of the'feed the needle and the movement of the material' with the buttons thereon under said plate to and away7 from one end thereof, as is usual in machines of this class. Said presser-foot, as is well known by persons skilled in the art of operating this class ofmachines, is also similarly perforated 'and slotted.

The needle employed for sewing in the machine herein described, is an ordinary sewing-machine needle having an eye through it near its point,in which the thread is continu-A ously carried While the buttons are being sewed on. The employment of the above-described needle in this machine obviates the employment of a cast-off. The said needle is carried on the needle-bar 45, which needlebar has the requisite reciprocating endwise movement in the needle-barholder 46. Said needle-bar holder vhas a hub at its lower end and is fixed on the rock-shaft o, which shaft is hung in suitable bearings under the lower part of the frame A,.as shown in Fig. 2. The shaft o has arockin g motion in one direction IOO rio ,of the material by the vbratory'motions ot` IIS by means of the cam s, which has a camslot in one face thereof with which a stud in the end of a lever 47 engages, which is fixed on said shaft o, whereby the lever is so rocked as to give the requisite backward throw to said needle-bar holder to bring the point of the needle to a suitable position under the material XV, where the stitch is to be made. The forward throw of the needle-bar is effected by the action of the cam w', (seeFig. 3,) fixed on said shaft J. j The cam t imparts avibratory motion to the lever 48, which lever is hung on a rock-shaft 49 and has one arm, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, engaging with a groove in said cam and a second arm (partly shown in dotted lines) extending by the face of said cam and having an engagement with the needle-bar 45, whereby the latter is given said reciprocating endwise movementin the needle-bar holder.

The needleand presser-foot operating mechanism of this machine are substantially identical with those shown and described in my application for a patent filed November 8,

1890, Serial No. 370,821, and hence the corresponding devices of the machine herein shown and described do not constitute the subjectmatter of this application nor of the claims thereof, and therefore such specitic description of the construction of said mechanisms has not been given herein as is set forth in my said application, to which reference may be had for a more particular description thereof.

Thepresserffoot 44 has a leg 50,'extending to the lower part of the machine, (see Fig. 2,) to which a rod 5l is hooked, which may be attached to any suitable foot-pedal, whereby the presser-foot (which is held up against the cloth-plate by any suitable spring) is drawn downward to permit of introducing work therebetween. This presser-foot, like that described in my said application, is automatically operated for releasing the work when lthe latter is fed along by the needle for 'the usual purposes.

An ordinary thread-tension device 52 is attached to the frame of the machine, around which the thread 53 passes on its way to the needle The operation of my improvements in the within-described button-sewing machine is as follows: A quantity of shank-buttons is placed, as usual, in the button-hopper C, from which they descend through the trough B, taking their positions one after another therein, as 'shown by dotted lines in Fig. *'7, the button-holder c3 being at this stage of the operation yin the position shown in Figs. 7 and 9 and the point of the needle being below the fabric W, the latter being placed between the presser-foot 44 and the cloth-plate 43, as shown in said last-named figures. 'lhe machine now being started, the needle pierces the fabric and takes a position relative to the adjoining end of the button-holder c3, as shown in Fig. 7, carrying with it a loop of thread to its hi ghvshank of the button.

est point of movement. The needle then dips or drops suflie-iently to throw out said thread-y loop away from the side of the needle, as shown in Fig. 8. The button-holder then moves up to the side of the needle and causes the buttonshank,which is now held with its sides in vertical planes, as just received from the buttontrough, (its button-socket being under the end of said trough when the needle came up,) to be inserted between the needle and said loop, as shown in said Fig. 8. The needle then moves downward, thus drawing said loop of thread over the upper edge of the buttonshank, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10. Whilethe needle is passing still farther downward and out of the fabric, the button-holder is turned back in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 10 a quarter of a revolution, and moves backward ve'ry slightly fromthe needle to keep the lastnamed or primary loop out of the way of the needle when it shall next rise through the fabric, thus bringing the button to a position over the fabric a little to one side of that which it occupied when the primary loop be- -came engaged with the shank thereof, as

shown in Fig. 10, said movement of the button bringing it to the position over the fabric shown in Fig. 12 and with the sides of its shank parallel with the face of the fabric,the primary loop still being engaged around the The needle then reascends, piercing the fabric directly under the eye of the button-shank,and passes up through the latter, as shown in Fig. 12, bringing with it the secondary thread-loop. The needle now dips or drops slightly, thus throwing out said loop slightly from its side above the button-shank. The loop hook 36 then swings from the position shown in Fig. 9 to that IOO shown in Figs ll and 12 and engages said to turn back (see arrow pointing to the right in Fig. 19) to its first position, thereby causing the button-head to be ejected from the buttonsocket in the holder and through said opened loop, while the shank of the button is pivoted on the needle, as shown in said last-named iigure. At this stage in the operation the fabric is fed backward some distance by the needle to space the next button to. be sewed on. The needle then moves down, and by the aid ofthe thread-tension 52 draws the secondary loop tightly around the button-shank and the primary loop thereon, thus completing the stitch, as shown in Figs. l5 and 16. The buttonholder has meanwhile moved back to its first position (see Fig. 15) to receive another button from the trough, after which the 'operations are repeated, as described. The appearance IIO of the loops or stitches as finally engaged with the shank of the button above the fabric is illustrated in Figs. l5 and 16, and under each butt-on beneath thefabric will be found three parallel threads and a single line of thread between each button.

That I claim as my invention isl. In a machine for sewing shank-buttons to fabrics, a button-holder of cylindrical form having a side recess to receive the head of a button and an end opening through Which the button-shank projects, a needle having its path of reciprocation in proximity to said projecting shank, and a loop-hook mounted on a rock-shaft in proximity to said needle, said loop-hook and shaft having an oscillating and end wise-reciprocating movement, and means for actuating the moving parts, in combination substantially as described.

2. In combination, in a machine for sewing shank-buttons to fabric, a button-trough, a button-holder of cylindrical form having a socket therein below its surface to receive the head only of a button and an opening in its end adjoining said socket through which the shank of the button held therein protrudes in the direction of the axis of the holder, a pinion 5, xed on the shaft of said holder, sewing mechanism, a rocking.4 and an endwise` moving shaft 31, an arm 30, secured on said rock-shaft, having a geared segment thereon engaging with the face and ends ot said pinion, and mechanism, substantially as described, for actuating said shaft 3l, substantially as set forth.

3. In a' machine for sewing shank-buttons to fabric, the button-trough, the button-carrier having a cylindrical side and having a socket of capacity to receive the button-head and an end opening from which the shank protrudes, said carrier forming the gate to the trough, means for rocking and for longitudinally reciprocating said carrier, and means for attaching the button to a fabric, in combination substantially as described.

4. The button-trough, the button-carrier having a cylindrical side andv having a button-socket and a rigid end piece With an opening from which the button-shank protrudes, said carrier forming a gate to the trough, the pinion attached to said button-carrier, a geared segment engaging said pinion to rock the button-carrier and having end plates at the end of said pinion, and means for rocking and longitudinally reciprocating said geared segment, and thereby the button-carrier, in combination substantially as described.

. WALTER E. BENNETT. Witnessesz JOHN F. SPRINGFIELD, H. A. CHAPIN. 

